Appletons' cyclopædia of American biography . 1780 and1782, and. overcoming his natural diffidence, be-came a ready debater. He was a member of im-portant committees, but did especially good ser-vice on, t he board of admiralty, where he had muchinfluence, and probably originated the plan offitting out fire-ships at Newport. During theBritish occupation of Rhode Island, Mr. Elleryshouse was hurried and much of his other propertyinjured. Tn 1770 he was a member of a committeeto arrange some diplomatic difficulties among theAmerican commissioners to Europe, and waschairman of a committee to cons
Appletons' cyclopædia of American biography . 1780 and1782, and. overcoming his natural diffidence, be-came a ready debater. He was a member of im-portant committees, but did especially good ser-vice on, t he board of admiralty, where he had muchinfluence, and probably originated the plan offitting out fire-ships at Newport. During theBritish occupation of Rhode Island, Mr. Elleryshouse was hurried and much of his other propertyinjured. Tn 1770 he was a member of a committeeto arrange some diplomatic difficulties among theAmerican commissioners to Europe, and waschairman of a committee to consider means ofrelieving the distress brought upon the RhodeIslanders by the British occupation. In 1782 hepresented to congress a plan for organizing a de-partment of foreign affairs. In 1785 he activelysupported Rufus King in his effort to abolishslavery throughout the country, seconding Kingsresolution to that effect. Be was appointed com-missioner of the continental loan-office for RhodeIsland in 1786, was for a short period chief justice. -IMyX of the Rhode Island superior court, and from1790 till his death wTas collector of Newport, beingretained in the office in spite of frequent and frankavowals of political differences with several ad-ministrations. Mr. Ellery was of moderate stat-ure, with a large head and impressive was fond of study and literature, and washighly esteemed for his social qualities, being inti-mate with all the distinguished men of his retained the full use of his faculties to theclose of his Jong life, and died holding in his handa copy of Ciceros De Officiis, which he hadbeen reading. See a biography of Ellery by hisgrandson, Edward T. Channing, in Sparkss American Biography, vol. vi., and Goodrichs Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Inde-pendence.—His nephew, Christopher, senator,b. in Newport, R. I., 1 Nov., 1768; d. there, %Dec, 1840, was graduated at Yale in 1787, studiedlaw, and began to practise in his native city.
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